Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125620
By Maureen Lee -- F or year after year our desert riding friends have been ribbing us about stickIng so close to scrambles and motocross. WhIle we admit their weekends sounded like fun I decided that I was ninety years too old to last that long on the back of a bike on a desert run, but they persisted. This weekend the perfect opportunity arose. I for went my "Scramblin' Around" assignment for the weekend, we c loaded up Gene' 5 Greeves and my Hodaka and away we wentfor the Holiday area. ~ Our friends the Jack Rabbits were hav- ;; ing their annual club poker run, "laid out &l over trails so that even grandma can c finish," and "just a short one, forty .8 miles." U Please come." The camping area was set in a beauti- ,. ful grove of Joshua trees and after the >, season's rains, the desert was at its ~ best. Even the weather went out of Its .~ way to impress us that this was the place e! to be, not at a scrambles. It was so mUd '" that even at one in the morning it was :5 T-shirt time. What were we doing up at one in the morning? Sitting around a campftre, tummies full of freshly cooked weenies and 'sody, bench racing and having a whale of a time. Even after we climbed into sleeping bags, the fun went on with an impromptu flat track event around the ftre pit with everyooe on Hooda mini trails. We're not mentioning tt1e names of the riders because this was, after all, a club event so letting down ooe's hair was part of tt1e fun. Anyway, a couple of tt1e boys should give up desert for serious flat- tracking, they were good. Dawn was beautiful, a superflous thing to say to those who go to the desert all !be time, but watching it for a wh1lP. helped me empty my head out a bit. One poor soul must have kicked over his 250 a hundred times and !be comments from those curled up in sleeping .5 ,0 ~ .t_ bags watching would have made a terrific script for "Laugh In," ranging all the way from "Would jump cables help?", "Get a horse," "You've had your helmet 00 all morning, did you sleep in it?.., "Buy a PurSang, mine starts ooe kick," etc. While we were all getting shaken down for the day, tt1e liming crew had left at daybreak to check out markings for the run and to place the red and white Jack Rabbit ribboos out. Promptly at ten a riders' meeting conducted by Joe Borgias took place, where he explained the simple instructions on following the trall, the check point procedures and then pointed out that his was a family run so any of tt1e hotshots should consider this fact and keep in mind women and kids were on tt1e trail. At this point I was nervous, all 1 could think d. was forty miles! Forty miIes!! I'm good for three or f1.ve h1gIl speed laps or as a supreme effort, Hopetown. So, away we went. '!be coorse was beautiful, I'U say that. At one point we ran orer some h1lls way back in the interior 00 a little trail. It was hardpecked and easy rld1ng (If you hadn't been terrified) and ran througb what was for me the ftrst look at a real stand of California wildflowers. One d. the few times you realiZe there is still some California left that isn't ticky-tacky houses and freeways. There was a water crossing 00 a pretty Uttle creek, all pebbles and clean water and about six inches deep and three feet across giving riders time to pour water down hot necks as by then 11 was getting pretty warm. The time for completing the ride was estimated at an easy two hours, we took, or I should say, I took, four which will give you desert people a giggle right there. At one point I knew I wouldn't make it, I imagined mybooes mouldering out there, so ride along murmuringlioes from Ruper Brooks' poem,"1f I should die etc....... There was also an uphill sandwash I don't even want to discuss. Still, we had fun and my troubles were lack of trailing experience, doing all tt1e dumb-dumb things you know you shouldn't dO, but cio, like not relaxing enough and hitting sand and gravel fast without your rear end hanging hack to keep the front end Ught. Anyway, I made a trip to the desert and can see where it can turn you on. Just watching pit activities alone proved a point with all the little kids taking off into the open spaces on trail and min1 trail bikes, most with helmets on and woe betide one who rode off without ooe when dad caught him! The visiting going on between everyone. I only wish "outsiders" could see what a real family sport it is, even more so than scrambling. Not only that, as this was a club event for members and guest only, It also proved a point as to why you should belong to a club. The companionship and feeling of belonging was something else. One of the members, Bobby Tondo new to L.A. from San Diego, ct,rove outto ride and tt1en made the return journey to his ship so be could be with his family and friends to ride. This is a soUd group of people grooving on ooe thing, closed against what the rest d. the world is doing while they're altogether. ·············································1 Bob Tooley - 1st 250 EL Mains (3 straight) - Las Vegas Wayne Hosaka -1st 250 EL Mail - Ciulla Vista 5/4 George Spellman - 1st 2511 Jr. - Foltala 5/11 Danny Gimther - 1st 25lI Ex. - Medt.n, Ore. ... Ray Vanderpool -1st 251 Ex. - Elsi.e 5/1~ George Spellman -1st 2511 Jr. - DeI. . .s Poild 4/20 Mike Hapski - 1st 250 Noy. - Elsinore Ted LOIIgwith -lSt 250 EL - Elsinore Danny Hodde -1st Lt. It. Sweep. - Elsinore Norm Cowell -1st Expert Trials - Mir Mar Dan Carlton -1st 250 Ex. - Elsi.re 4/19 Ron Rolt..s -1st 250 Ex. Cross Country - Coo's Bay 4/6 Tom Bnt" -1st 200 Ex. Cross Country - Ceo's Bay 4/6 G_ge Spellman -1st 250 Jr. - Deadmans Point 5/18 ,. P.O. 110• • • ~CTAOY, . . 'O'U( 12301 SEE THE NEW OSSA 250' s AT ANY ONE OF THE 47 WESTERN DEALERS